Improvement in machines for cleaning cotton



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Qn@ a@ Ny PETERS. FMOTD-LITHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. D C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE..

THOMAS OLIVER, OF YAZOO CITY, MISSISSIPPI.

'IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINES FOR CLEANING COTTON.

Speciiioation forming part of Letters Patent No. 20,270; dated May 18, 1858.

stances, preparatory to ginning it; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, ref erence being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a longitudinal central section of y my improvement. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the same, taken in the line .r cc, Fig. l.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the two figures.

The object of my invention is to provide a machine for operating expeditiously upon the cotton preparatory to its being subjected to the ginning process, said machine being designed. to accomplish an operation which has long been considered a very important desideratum among Southern cotton-planters-to wit, the handling, shaking, or lightening up of the cotton in such a manner as will insure the separation of the hulls and all foreign lnatter therefrom without breaking or inj uring the fibers, and so aste leave it with its fibers lightly lying against one another or unmatted together, as in the natural blooming state.

This invention consists in the employment or use oi a series of toothed rollers and a fan arranged and operating as hereinafter' shown in relation to each other and to an endless toothed apron and blast-guides, whereby the cotton is loosened or its fibers separated one from the other, so as to lighten up the mass and detach or loosen the dirt and other foreign substances from it, the cotton being discharged in a thin layer or sheet, so as to be effectually operated upon by a blast generated by the fan, the blast separating the dust and other light impurities, while the husks and other foreign substances which the cotton may contain, and which are too heavy to be acted upon by the blast, are separated by their gravity from the cotton as it passes through the machine.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct my invention, I will proceed to describe it.

A represents a rectangularfbox or case, in the upper part of which three rollers a l) c are placed transversely in one and thesaine horizontal plane, and two rollersd e are placed parallel with the rollers a ZJ C, but a little above the plane of said rollers and over the spaces between them, as shown clearly in Fig. l. p

All of the rollers above mentioned are armed with radial teeth f, the teeth of one roller passing between those of the rollers adjoining it. The rollers all rotate in the samedirection, as indicated by the arrows; but they rotate with diiferent speed, the roller ct hav; ing the slowest motion, Z2 being rather quicker, and c quicker still.' The`upper rollers e are each rotated with a speed corresponding with the mean speed of their rollers af l) and b c, overwhich they are placed, respectively, as shown clearly in Fig. l.

At one end of the box or case A, at its upper part, a hopperB is placed or formed,-and the opposite end of the case or box is open, as shown atg, and a guide-board O is attached to it, at the lower edge of the mouth or opening g. This board is inclined at an angie of about forty-five degrees, and a perforated slide 71, is attached to it. To the upper edge of the mouth or opening g iron bars t' are attached, said bars projecting downward over the month or opening g, a suitable space being allowed between the bars z' and the guide-board O.

In the lower part of the case or box A a fan D is placed. This fan is separated from the rollers in the upper partof the case by means of a horizontal partition j. (Shown clearly in Fig. l.) An opening 7c, is made in one end of the box below partition j and openings Z in its sides.

E E are two rollers, the journals of which are fitted in the ends of horizontal bars m fm, attached to the end of the case A in front of the openings g k. Around these rollers an endless apron F passes, said apron having teeth n attached to it.

G is an inclined screen-board or shield placed parallel with the inner side of the apron. This screen or shield, as well as the bars t', are omitted in Fig. l.

The operation is as follows: The rollers a b c d @,fan D, and endless apron F are driven thin layer or sheet, which is deflected downward by the bars z', so that it will pass over the guide-board C, down which it passes to the apron F. The cotton is distended or its bers stretched out by the rollers in consequence of their varying speed. The mass of cotton, however matted it may be when placed in hopper B, will be drawn out or attenuated into a thin sheet as it is discharged through the opening g, and by this process the dirt and other` foreign substances will beloosened or detached from the fiber, and as the layer or sheet of cotton passes over the perforated slide h all d ust and light foreign substances will be blown from it by the blast from fan D, the shield or board G protecting apron F, while other foreign substances A-`su'ch as husks, &c., the specific gravity of which places them beyond the action of the blast-will pass down between the lower end of the perforated plate 71, and the apron F, the cotton being caught by the teeth n and carried up and discharged over the upper roller E.

It is necessary to remark that cotton grown `on upland is a light crop compared with that grown on the rich alluvial deposits of the lowlands, and in the former case the cotton is picked from the bolls or husks which are left on the stalks. This can be done, for the crop, being light, sufficient time can be expended for the purpose. In cleaning upland cotton, therefore, there will be no husks orbolls to be separated from the cotton, and consequently the apron F may be dispensed with, and also the upper rollers l e, as the cotton when free from husks is quite tractable and the dust and light dirt easily separated from it. The

lowland cotton is picked with the husks or bolls from the stalks, as too much time would be expended in picking it from the husks, and consequently in cleaning this cotton all the parts herein described are necessary, the auxiliary toothed rollers Cl e serving to assist in breaking up and detaching the husks from the cotton, and the apron F separating the latter from the husks. I would also remark that the case/and rollers may be constructed of Wood, the teeth being formed of propersized wire or rods, the apron F being formed of any suitable material which is generally used for such purpose. Any proper number of toothedrollers may be used, as circumstances may require.

I am aware that all the elements of my machine separately considered are common. I am also aware that rollers armed with teeth are common for pulling rags and operating upon wool. I am likewise aware that an endless toothed elevator for feeding cotton into a gin 'has been proposed, and also that a thrashing-cylinder, endless carrier, and fan have been used in combination for operating upon grain. Therefore I do not Wish to be understood as intending to include in my claim the use of, in the manner and for the purposes last stated,such elements separately or in combination; but

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The arrangement of the toothed rollers a, l) c, cl, and e, the guides h and G, and toothed carrying-apron F, constructed and operating together in the manner and for the purpose specified.

l Trios. OLIVER.

Witnesses:

G. W. MOORE, MILEs HoBsoN. 

